Let them eat cake!

In a remarkable twist of fate Philip Hammond as Transport Secretary had his “Marie-Antoinette moment” almost completely ignored by the mass media and before you can catch breath he is promoted to Defence Secretary. Outstanding luck for another of the Tory grey men.

As reported by Auto Express Hammond was speaking at the launch of a privately funded network of electric charge points and said, “You can’t force people out of their cars or place drivers on the naughty step, as our predecessors did.”

I’ll let the motoring mag take up the story here: When Auto Express suggested prohibitive fuel prices appeared to be doing exactly that, he shirked responsibility and instead blamed oil suppliers: “The increase in fuel prices is a function of global oil prices, it’s not driven by policy.”

Motorists currently pay 80 pence in tax for every litre of petrol they buy, according to the AA, meaning almost 60 per cent of your fuel bill goes straight to the Treasury.

When Auto Express asked Hammond what the Government intended to do to help reduce fuel prices, he suggested that motorists switch to electric cars. “People should look to new technologies. Electric cars are very cheap to run and allow motorists to drive guilt free.”

Let them eat cake, eh?

What next? Replace the army with ICBMs? They are very cheap to run compared to several divisions of infantry, cavalry and armour after all and will allow us to defend ourselves guilt free. How about embracing defence as part of the Big Society. Armed militias raised on a county by county basis. Oh, hold on a moment, that was where the old model started and that went wrong according to the bean counters. Local regiments so that the provinces actually feel that defence is inclusive and relevant to them? Nah, not this time.

Or even better, the UK government can contract out defence entirely. Give the contract to the highest bidder. Hammond can complete the work of Dr. Fox by handing the keys of the MOD to the Pentagon.

Philip Hammond is a huge accident waiting to happen and we should all be very afraid. If ever there was a case of someone being promoted way beyond his pay grade it is Hammond but this is merely indicative of the paucity of talent inhabiting the Tory benches at Westminster. Even with the GlibDumbs padding out the Cabinet the Tories still cannot cobble together a front bench that comes across as anything other than confused, angry and pompous. I thought the Labour administration was limited in the last Parliament but these jokers take the biscuit.

Or should that be cake?